Discuss the disadvantages of online focus groups

What will be an ideal response?

Only people that have and know how to use a computer can be surveyed online. Because the name of an individual on the Internet is often private, actually verifying that a respondent is a member of a target group is difficult. To overcome this limitation, other traditional methods such as telephone calls are used for recruitment and verification of respondents.

Another factor that must be considered is the lack of general control over the respondent's environment and their potential exposure to distracting external stimuli. Because online focus groups could potentially have respondents scattered all over the world, the researchers and moderator(s) have no idea what else the respondents may be doing while participating in the group. Only audio and visual stimuli can be tested. Products cannot be touched (e.g., clothing) or smelled (e.g., perfumes).